Today’s Opinions And Editorials

President Obama's Health Choices The New York Times President Obama's address to Congress about health care reform on Wednesday is the moment for him to stand tough for a large and comprehensive plan. This is no time to yield on core elements of reform or on the scale of the effort in search of enough Republican support to provide the veneer of bipartisanship, or even the one or two Republican votes needed to overcome a filibuster (9/5).

A Dangerous Cost-Cutting Prescription Forbes The reduction of healthcare costs at the expense of drug companies' ability to perform research and development would be penny-wise but pound-foolish. Drugs often improve the span and quality of life in a remarkably cost-effective way, a fact of crucial significance not only to the individual patient but also to society as a whole (Henry I. Miller and Jeff Stier, 9/8).

Mayo Suggests Many Changes In Nation's Health Care System The Florida Times Union Providing insurance without addressing underlying payment issues will create significant unintended consequences - for example, restricted access for Medicare patients and early bankruptcy of the program (William Rupp, 9/8).

A More Perfect Death The New York Times Twelve years later, [Ezekiel] Emanuel's Atlantic essay remains a lucid case for the existence of a slippery slope, especially under government-managed health care, to some sort of death-by-bureaucrat (Ross Douthat, 9/6).

Health Care Reform: Bipartisan Or Bust Politico Whether one party dominates in the bill writing or even a bipartisan vote results, a better work product emerges from the engagement of more diverse perspectives (Tom Davis, 9/7).

Whoa, Trigger Wall Street Journal The latest political gimmick is the notion of a "trigger" for the public option: A new government program for the middle class would only come on line if private insurance companies fail to meet certain benchmarks (9/8).

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.